Valiant Be

Valiant Be is a remarkable memoir of pain and resilience and a gripping history of a family that is at once dysfunctional and deeply loving. Heather's earliest memories revolved around her parents' purchase and refurbishment of a gristmill beside the Don River on the outskirts of Toronto. As World War 2 raged so did tensions at home; Heather's father was a passionate artist with a mercurial temper and her mother was a writer who wrote and published a book about their marriage. Although Heather's young life was chaotic she learned resourcefulness from her parents and never doubted their care. <br /><br />Then at the age of four Heather experienced a deeply traumatic incident that would change her forever and lead her to spend fifteen years in therapy for complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Still her courage never wavered. <br /><br />Told through a series of vignettes this vibrant collection of stories follows the author through childhood university marriage mothering teaching and working as a calligrapher. Tender revelatory and always full of humour this book is both a valuable time capsule and a fascinating look at how drastically the world can change in a single lifetime.